CaledoniaA Pennsylvania Recreational Guide for

CALEDONIA STATE PARK

RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

ReservationsDirections

Make online reservations at www.visitPAparks.com or call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757), 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Saturday.

Spend the Day

INFORMATION AND RESERVATIONS

Park facilities available for use by people with disabilities include picnic areas, campground, cabins, parking, and a fishing pier. Restrooms in these areas are designated with the symbol for accessibility. This symbol indicates facilities and activities that are Americans with Disabilities

Act (ADA) accessible for people with disabilities. This publication text is available in alternative formats.

If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the park you planto visit.

Access for People with Disabilities

Protect and Preserve our Parks

Please make your visit safe and enjoyable. Obey all posted rules and regulations and respect fellow visitors and the resources of the park.

• Be prepared and bring the proper equipment. Natural areas may possess hazards. Your personal safety and that of your family are your responsibility.

• Alcoholic beverages are prohibited.

• Please camp only in designated areas and try to minimize your impact on the campsite.

• Firewood Advisory: Firewood may contain non-native insects and plant diseases. Bringing firewood into the park from other areas may accidentally spread pest insects and diseases that threaten park resources and the health of our forests. Campers should use local firewood. Do not take wood home and do not leave firewood. Burn It!

• Prevent forest fires by having a fire in proper facilities and properly disposing of hot coals. Do not leave a fire unattended.

Caledonia State Park101 Pine Grove RoadFayetteville, PA 17222GPS DD: Lat. 39.9089 Long. -77.4783717-352-2161email: caledoniasp@pa.govAn Equal Opportunity Employerwww.visitPAparks.com

Make online reservations at www.visitPAparks.com or call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757), 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Saturday.

Call 911 and contact a park employee. Directions to the nearest hospital are posted on bulletin boards and at the park office.

NEAREST HOSPITALChambersburg Hospital112 North Seventh StreetChambersburg, PA 17201717-267-3000

In an Emergency

Nearby Attractions

Information on nearby attractions is available from the Franklin County Visitors Bureau, www.explorefranklincountypa.com, or the Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. www.gettysburg.travel

The 84,000-acre Michaux State Forest features hunting, fishing, and general outdoor recreation. 717-352-2211

The Gettysburg National Military Park is operated by the National Park Service and preserves and explains the events that occurred on the Gettysburg Battlefield during the Civil War. www.nps.gov/gett

HISTORYThaddeus Stevens 1792-1868Called the Great Commoner, Thaddeus Stevens was an abolitionist, radical republican, and was one of the most effective and powerful legislators of the Civil War era. Some historians consider Stevens the de facto leader of the United States during the presidency of Andrew Johnson. Stevens became the third person in American history to be given the privilege of lying in state in the U.S. Capitol rotunda, following Senator Henry Clay and President Lincoln.

Born in Caledonia County, Vermont, Stevens faced many prejudices for having a club-foot. This and his birth to a poor family likely forged a lifelong drive to defend the poor and persecuted. After graduation from Dartmouth in 1815, Stevens moved to York, Pa. to teach. Within a year he moved to Gettysburg, Pa. to practice law, dabble in real estate, and in 1822, enter the iron business with the opening of Maria Furnace in Fairfield, Adams County.

Finding better iron ore in Franklin County, Stevens built a new charcoal iron works, which went into blast in 1837. The Caledonia Iron Works grew to include the charcoal iron furnace, forge, rolling mill, stables, warehouses, blacksmith shop, sawmill, and tenement houses for the workers and their families.

Thaddeus Stevens served in the Pennsylvania General Assembly from 1833 to 1841, where he fought for free, public education. In 1842, Stevens moved his law practice to Lancaster, Pa. where he could make a better living as a lawyer and support his iron business interests. Jumping into politics again, Stevens served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1849 to 1853 and again from 1859 to his death in 1868. During his terms in office, Steven championed the passing of three amendments to the constitution: the 13th, abolition of slavery; the 14th, citizenship and due process; and the15th, the right to vote.

Even in death, Stevens illustrated his principles by choosing to be buried in a cemetery that accepted people of all races.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION

The ParkWhile Thaddeus Stevens fought for abolition in Washington D.C., Caledonia Iron Works furnace foreman William Hammett was a conductor for the Underground Railroad. Hammett would meet a conductor near Pond Bank and guide runaway slaves north to Greenwood, just west of the park, to meet the next conductor on the journey to freedom. For this, and Stevens’ tireless fight for equal rights, Caledonia State Park is a Path of Freedom site.

During the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War, the confederate cavalry of General J.A. Early raided throughout southern Pennsylvania but followed a policy to destroy no private property or industry. The cavalry burned and pillaged Caledonia. Early explained his actions, “Mr. Stevens is an enemy of the South. He is in favor of confiscating their property and arming the Negroes. His property must be destroyed.”

The Confederate Army marched through the ruins of Caledonia on their way to the Battle of Gettysburg, then retreated back the same way, followed by the Union army.

With money from Stevens and the help of the Ahl brothers, Cumberland County ironmen, furnace manager John Sweeney rebuilt the furnace and forge, which continued to operate at a reduced capacity until 1870.

After a nineteen-year estate battle over the Caledonia property, the Diller brothers of

Lancaster County purchased the iron works in 1887 and operated quarries for ganister sand and other minerals. In 1903, the Caledonia Mining and Manufacturing Company, then owned by a New York investment group headed by telephone magnate Theodor Vail, sold most of the Caledonia Iron Works lands to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as part of the new Forest Reserve System. The tracts of cutover forestlands were set aside as a future supply of timber and to be “outing grounds for citizens.”

The Chambersburg and Gettysburg Electric Railway Company leased the area around the old furnace and blacksmith shop as a trolley park. The company turned the former blacksmith shop into a trolley station and built amusement rides and a dance pavilion.

In 1927, the Pa. Alpine Club, a local hiking group, reconstructed the old furnace stack as a reduced scale model monument to theiron works.

From 1933 to 1939, young men of camp SP-18-PA of the Civilian Conservation Corps built many of the roads throughout Michaux State Forest and recreational facilities at Caledonia State Park.

Spend the Night

dump station is available in Hosack Run Campground.

Chinquapin Hill Campground is nestled on the side of a mountain among plenty of shade trees and is close to the swimming pool. Some sites have electric hookups. The park amphitheater is in this camping area and is accessible to the public from the day use parking area. Pets are prohibited in this campground.Hosack Run Campground is one mile

from the main day use area. All sites in this camping area are pet friendly. This campground has moderately level, open and shaded sites, and many sites have electric hookups. This camping area also has a small playground for children. There are ADA accessible sites available with a nearby family-assist restroom.

ORGANIZED GROUP TENTING: Caledonia offers 5 separate 20-person sites for rent to organized adult and youth groups. This area opens the day before trout season in March and closes the 4th Sunday in October. There are flush toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings. Advance reservations are required. Caledonia makes a great base for groups touring Gettysburg National Millitary Park.

CALEDONIA LODGE: Located alongUS 30, Caledonia Lodge is a two-story frame house available for rent year round. The lodge has a modern kitchen, closed-in porch, 1½ baths, dining room, living room, central heat, and three bedrooms that sleep ten people.

CAMPING: electric hookups, warm showersTent and trailer sites are available in two campgrounds. The camping season opens the day before trout season in March and ends with the conclusion of deer season in December. Both campgrounds have drinking water, showers, and flush toilets. A sanitary

Caledonia is at the intersection of US 30 and PA 233. • From Chambersburg, follow US 30 east 11 miles to the park.

• From Gettysburg, follow US 30 west 15 miles to the park.

• From Harrisburg, follow I-81 53 miles to Chambersburg, then 7.3 miles east on US 30.

The 1,125-acre Caledonia State Park is in Adams and Franklin counties, midway between Chambersburg and Gettysburg along the Lincoln Highway, US 30.

The park is nestled within South Mountain, the northern terminus of the well-known Blue Ridge Mountains of Maryland and Virginia. Within South Mountain are four state parks and 84,000 acres of state forest land waiting to be explored and enjoyed. The soils on either side of South Mountain are ideal for fruit production, proven by the abundance of orchards in the surrounding area.

A park educator offers programming during the summer season. The history and environment of the area are topics for discovery for park visitors of all ages. Children’s programs, guided walks, and campfire programs are scheduled throughout the summer season. Program schedules are

available at the park office. Special requests are welcome and may be directed to thepark office.

The Thaddeus Steven Blacksmith Shop has operating hours during the summer. Visitors can tour and, on occasion, visit with a guest blacksmith hammering out iron products.

The park is also the home of the Pennsylvania Forest Fire Association Museum, located across from the park office.

Caled

onia

State P

ark

The primary purpose of Pennsylvania state parks is to provide

opportunities for enjoying healthful outdoor recreation and serve as

outdoor classrooms for environmental education. In meeting these

purposes, the conservation of the natural, scenic, aesthetic, and

historical values of parks should be given first consideration.

Stewardship responsibilities should be carried out in a way that

protects the natural outdoor experience for the enjoyment of current

and future generations.

Printed on recycled paper 2018

visitPAparks

Pennsylvania State Parks Mission

CATHEDRAL IN THE PINES: Caledonia’s Summer Sunday School dates back to the summer of 1917 when the Manges and Moyer families decided to provide a Sunday school for their children and other families’ children who spent the summer months vacationing at Caledonia, be it in tents or the increasing cabin community around the park. Since 1955, the Franklin County Sunday School Association has kept the tradition alive and offers outdoor, nondenominational Sunday school from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend. All are welcome to attend.

TOTEM POLE PLAYHOUSE: Since 1952, the Totem Pole Playhouse, a summer stock theater, has offered performances during the summer months. Request a schedule of shows by contacting: Totem Pole Playhouse9555 Golf Course RoadP.O. Box 603, Fayetteville, PA 17222888-805-7056www.totempoleplayhouse.org

and individuals with a valid Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearms are authorized to carry a firearm concealed on their person while they are within a state park.

FISHING: The East Branch Conococheague and Rocky Mountain creeks and Carbaugh Run flow through the park and the surrounding state forest lands, offering many exciting places for anglers. Brown trout, rainbow trout, native brook trout, and some warmwater game fish can be found in these streams. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission regulation and laws apply.

CALEDONIA PUBLIC GOLF COURSE: An 18-hole, par 68, public golf course is just south of US 30. Constructed in the late 1920s, the course is the oldest and one of the most scenic courses in south central Pennsylvania. Caledonia Golf Enterprises Inc.9515 Golf Course RoadFayetteville, PA 17222717-352-7271caledoniagc.com

Rhododendron

SWIMMING: The park features a large, ADA accessible swimming pool with a small snack bar. The pool is open 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM from Memorial Day to Labor Day unless otherwise posted.

PICNICKING: Oak and pine trees along Conococheague Creek shade picnic tables and charcoal grills. Two rustic, CCC-era picnic pavilions may be reserved up to 11 months in advance for a fee. Unreserved picnic pavilions are free on a first-come, first-served basis.

HIKING: see reverse side

HUNTING AND FIREARMS: About 740 acres are open to hunting, trapping, and the training of dogs during established seasons. Common game species are deer, rabbit, squirrel, and turkey. Hunting is permitted in the adjacent Michaux State Forest.

Hunting woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, is prohibited. Dog training is only permitted from the day following Labor Day through March 31 in designated hunting areas. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Game Commission rules and regulations apply. Contact the park office for ADA accessible hunting information.

Use extreme caution with firearms at all times. Other visitors use the park during hunting seasons. Firearms and archery equipment used for hunting may be uncased and ready for use only in authorized hunting areas during hunting seasons. In areas not open to hunting or during non-hunting seasons, firearms and archery equipment shall be kept in the owner’s car or enclosed trailer. Exceptions include: law enforcement officers

Mountain laurel

HIKING: 12.9 miles of trails

30

30

233

233

233

1360

1400

1440

1480

1480

1440

1400

1360

1280

1320

1240

1120 11

60 1200 12

40

1280

1320

1160

1120

1200

1240

1320

1280

1520

1440

1480

13601400

1320

1200

1240

1080

1120

1160

1040

1160

1200

1120

10801040

1000

1040

1000

1080

1160

1120

1200

1280

1240

1280

1320

12401200116010801040

1000

960

12001160

1120

1080

1040

1000

960

1360

1320

1280

12401200

1160

1120

1400 14

40

12001240

1120

1160

1080

1040

1000

960

920

1000

960

920

1080

1120

1160

1200

1240

1280

1040

1200 11

60

1240

1280

1080

1080

1040

1000

960

1040

1000

960

1120

Header Dam

Furnace

Dam

HosackRun 4

3

ForestryOffice

2 1

ProShop Caledonia

PublicGolf Course

Oak

Pine

Cathedralin the Pines

Thaddeus StevensBlacksmith Shop

CaledoniaLodge

Caledonia FurnaceMonument

Forest Heritage

Discovery Center

1–4: Charcoal Hearth Sites

Chinquapin Hill

Totem PolePlayhouse

ToRidge Road,

approx. 1.8 Mi. &Pine Grove Furnace

State Park,approx. 17.0 Mi.

ToPine Grove Furnace

State Park,11.7 Mi.

ToGettysburg, 13.5 Mi. &

US 15,15.2 Mi.

ToI-81, 7.6 Mi. &Chambersburg, 9.1 Mi.

To Mont Alto,8.1 Mi.

To PA 233, approx. 3.8 Mi.

Charcoal Hearth Trail

Ramble Trail

Whispering Pine

Charcoal Hearth

Trail

Chambersburg

Water

Line

Trail

Trail

Fire Road Trail

Three Valley Trail

Ramble Trail

Trolley Trail

Appa

lach

ian

T

rail

Ramble Trail

Appalachian Tr

ail

Appalachian

Tra

il

Locust

Gap

Trai

l

Racc

oon R

un

Tra

il

Midland Tr.

Midland Trail

Thaddeus Stevens

Historic T

rail

Chambersburg Water Line Trail

Amphitheater

Trail

Quarry Gap Road

Golf Course Road

Gol

f C

ourse

Road

Piney Mountain Ridge Road

Mile

sb

urn R

oad

Wildcat Hill Haul Rd.

Perry

D

rive

New

Baltimore Rd.Co

rls

R

d.

Service Road

ServiceRoads

Falls

ForgeTail Race

East Branch

Conococheaque Creek

Forge RaceEast Branch Conococheague

Creek

Carbaugh Run

Stillhouse Run

Hosack Run

Hosack Run

Quarry Run

Rock

y M

ount

ain

Cr

eek

AD

AM

S COU

NTY

FRAN

KLIN CO

UN

TY

AD

AM

S COU

NTY

FRAN

KLIN CO

UN

TY

Pipeline

Pipeline

MICHAUX STATE FOREST

MICHAUX

STATE FOREST

Grae�enburg Hill1522 ft.

Chinquapin Hill1522 ft.

QuarryHill

Orebank Hill

RO

CK

Y

M

OU

NTA

I N

1

2

3

4

5 6

7

8

9

10 11

12

13

14

15

1617

18

Park Office

Blue Symbols MeanADA Accessible

Public Phone

Modern Restrooms

Showers/Restrooms

Amphitheater

Food Concession

Picnicking

Picnic Pavilion

Water

Camping

Organized Group Tenting

Recycling/Trash

Sanitary Dump Station

Playground

Swimming Pool

First Aid(Summer Only)

Interpretive Wayside

Hiking Trail

Multi-use Trail

Paved Trail

Appalachian Trail

Unpaved Road

Gate

Parking ADA Accessible

Parking Paved

Parking Unpaved

State Park No Hunting

State Park Hunting

CONTOURS ARE ON40 FT. INTERVALS

10801040

100 100 200 300 400 500 600 METERS0

400 400 800 1200 1600 2000 FEET0

Rev. 10/2/18

CALEDONIA STATE PARK

233

997

997

997

696

696

533

174

116

316

316

914

233

234234

233

16

34

34

16

11

1130

30

BUS15

8181

8181

Appalachian Trail

App

alac

hian

Tr.

CALEDONIA

PineGroveFurnace

MontAlto

Chambersburg

ArendtsvilleBiglerville

Fayetteville

Mount Holly Springs

Greencastle

Waynesboro

MontAlto

Carroll Valley

Gettysburg

Bonneauville

Shippensburg

ADAMSFRANKLIN

CUMBERLAND

MARYLAND

To Carlisle To I-76, Harrisburg

To Greencastle

To Georgia

To Thurmont M

D

To Y

ork,

I-83

To Maine

To M

cCon

nells

burg

, Cow

ans

Gap

S.P.

Chambersburg Water Line: 1.9 miles, easiest hikingThis park “right-of-way” is perfect for the entire family. Level and grassy, the waterline cuts across the entire park and offers glimpses into the dark and beautiful forest.

Charcoal Hearth Trail: 2.7 miles, most difficult hikingThis is the longest and most rugged trail in the park. With its trailhead at the waterfall on

Thaddeus Stevens Historic Trail, Charcoal Hearth Trail climbs steeply for 10-15 minutes to Graeffenburg Hill before leveling off, then decends gradually, ending by a quiet stream near the Furnace Dam and pond. On the descent, watch for four historic charcoal hearths (noted on the map) and an old wagon road. Keep a watchful eye out for squirrel, chipmunk, deer, and birds.

Fire Road Trail: 1 mile, more difficult hikingThis dirt road serves as a fire break for the Chinquapin Campground and an access road for park vehicles.

Midland Trail: 0.7 mile, easiest hikingStarting at the trailhead kiosk, this trail passes through the park near the swimming pool, past the park office and ends at the old forestry museum building in the organized group tenting area. This uniquely beautiful walk is pleasant and level under a heavy canopy of white pine. This is also a great area to hear the “flute-like” song of the wood thrush on summer late afternoons.

Ramble Trail: 2.2 miles, more difficult hikingThis wide walking trail begins at the trailhead kiosk, and passes through the scenic lowlands of the park, then returns to the pool area. In its circular route, the trail follows the millrace of an old rolling mill and passes the Rolling

Mill Falls. The trail also passes through one of the oldest white pine plantations in Pennsylvania. This is a great place to see woodland birds.

Thaddeus Stevens Historic Trail: 0.8 mile, easiest hikingPamphlets are available at the park office for this self-guiding trail. Step back in time to imagine the bustling community of the Caledonia Iron Works. Investigate the blacksmith shop, millrace, falls, Header Dam, and Furnace Dam. Start at the trailhead kiosk or at the blacksmith shop. Return to the park by way of the Midland Trail which passes by the park office.

Three Valley Trail: 0.7 mile, most difficult hikingBeginning along Ramble Trail, Three Valley Trail crosses over the Chambersburg Water Line and ascends 400 feet up Ore Bank Hill to the Appalachian Trail (AT). This trail is maintained by the Potomac Appalachian Trail

Club as a side trail to the AT. It is blazed in blue, but white blazes appear when the trail merges with the AT at the top of the incline.

Trolley Trail: 0.7 mile, easiest hikingAlthough short, this path is suitable for bicycles. This trail was once an old trolley grade that brought visitors from Chambersburg to the Caledonia Amusement Park. The old blacksmith shop once served as the trolley station.

Caution: For your safety, do not bicycle on US 30.

Whispering Pine Nature Trail: 0.4 mile, easiest hikingDiscover the lowland forests of Caledonia State Park on this short loop trail that begins along the park road between the two bridges after passing the park office.

Appalachian Trail: 1.8 miles in the park, most difficult hikingThe famous 2,186-mile Appalachian Trail (AT) passes through the park on its way north to Mt. Katahdin in Maine and south to Springer Mountain in Georgia. Hiking this section of the AT gives hikers a taste of the terrain of the entire trail. Many scout groups use this part of the AT as a “shake down” trip before setting out on longer excursions. Visitors can do an overnight hike on the AT from Caledonia to Pine Grove Furnace State Park. The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club maintains this section of the trail.

Tell us about your hike at: